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Ask CF Question

Hi College Fashion,

I’ve been reading College Fashion for years now and loving it. I am a woman [with] a disability, which means I cannot wear heels or shoes with little support, like ballet flats. Which was easy in college when I rocked my sneakers and casual boots. Now, however, I’m starting a job in government administration and I need to dress formally. I don’t wanna look like an old lady, but also don’t wanna make my illness worse by wearing bad shoes for me.

Any advice?

Iris

Our Response

Dear Iris,

Shopping for cute shoes that are also work-appropriate can be really difficult, especially when it seems like many, if not most, comfort shoe brands make shoes that are clunky, and, let’s face it, often downright hideous to look at.

This becomes even more apparent if you’re on a budget, as I learned while putting together the outfits for this article. Presumably, making shoes that are good for your feet costs more than making pretty but not-that-comfortable shoes, which therefore causes the overall cost of the shoes for the consumer to go up.

Outfit #1

This easy-to-copy look is perfect if your style is feminine and a little bit quirky, and you want to look professional without going for “typical” workwear attire.

First, put on a super-cute printed dress with a fun Peter Pan collar. Next, add a cardigan in a bright color to create contrast; personally, I think that this punchy bright red looks amazing when paired with darker blue tones, but other colors, such as fuchsia, yellow, or kelly green would also work well.

Small gold hoops with dangling hearts make for a sweet touch, while a beautiful cuff bracelet with various colored stones is a great way to add even more pops of color to your look without going overboard.

As for bags, you can’t go wrong with a classic cross-body saddle style, while a pair of stylish silver penny loafers by comfort brand Clarks not only provides more support than your typical ballet flats, but also acts as a sort of “pseudo-neutral” that ties the whole look together.

Outfit #3

This menswear-inspired ensemble features subtle details–including three separate prints–that make it stand out from the crowd–most notably these awesome SoftWalk oxfords, which feature a platform–a much more comfortable option than a heel!

Since the color of the shoes is so bright, I’ve decided to go with a more subtle neutral color palette for the rest of the outfit.

To get it, begin by pairing a gray-and-white polka dot sweater with herringbone pants that have an ultra-modern uneven waist detail; be sure to tuck in the sweater to show it off!

Next, accessorize with a simple black satchel, as well as a pair of trendy tortoise-pattern resin hoop earrings, a dainty open pavé ring, and a delicate bracelet.

Finally, lace up the oxfords to finish off this chic, work-ready look!

Outfit #4

For the final outfit, I decided to put a twist on the classic “blazer + blouse + black pants” work look by making some subtle changes, as well as by adding some modern accessories into the mix.

The first change I made to this outfit formula was swapping a typical button-up blouse for a more feminine denim puff-sleeve top, as well as pairing the black pants with a blazer in a different color–in this case, beige–to create a bit more visual interest.

An of-the-moment leopard-patterned belt breaks up the neutral tones of the outfit, while these loafers by comfort brand Naturalizer–which feature a gorgeous floral pattern–also make this look pop.

As for accessories, I decided to go with some delicate pearl open huggie hoop earrings, as well as an adorable heart cuff bracelet, and a yellow statement necklace for extra sparkle.

Finally, I added a cool croc-embossed circular bag to round out (ha) this classy ensemble.

I hope that these looks have provided you with inspiration for picking out and styling comfortable-yet-fashionable shoes. Thanks for your question!

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What do you think?

Do you have any more advice for styling comfortable shoes in a stylish, work-appropriate way? Do you have any more brand recommendations for comfortable shoes? Which of these outfits do you like best?